Sectional awning



April 29, 1952 HAwLA 2,594,922

SECTIONAL AWNING Filed Sept. 15, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 FIG. I

FIG. 2

'- r INVENTOR 23 CHARLES HAWLA I /27 -26 ATTORNEY April 29, 1952 c.HAWLA 2,594,922

SECTIONAL AWNING Filed Sept. 15, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR CHARLESHAWLA ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESECTIONAL AWNING Charles Hawla, St. Cloud,- Minn.-

Appiication September 15, 1950, Serial No. 184,962

3 Claims.

This invention relates to sectional awnings of the type wherein amultiplicity of long and relatively narrow sections are constructed fromsheet metal or other suitably rigid material and adapted when in normaluse to project from a supporting wall to form an inclined awningstructure which is readily collapsible to an elevated and retractedpositipn when not required for use.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple and inexpensiveawning of this class wherein the sections and supporting and actuatingmembers therefor are 50 arranged as to permit the sections to beretracted from their normal inclined and extended positions to unusuallycompact retracted positions against the supporting wall.

A particular object is to provide novel mechanism for connecting,guiding and actuating a multiplicity of elongated sections which arenormally positioned to form an inclined awning structure and in whichthe normally lower margins of the several sections are free to oscillateupwardly when the sections are retracted and the guiding the actuatingmechanism is so arranged as to cause the collapse of the severalsections against the supporting wall in usually compact positions inwhich the normally lower margins of the sections are elevated abovetheir normally upper margins.

The invention also includes certain novel details of construction whichwill be more fully pointed out in the following specification andclaims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way ofexample and not for the purpose of limitation, a preferredembodiment ofmy invention:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view showing my improved awning in placeon a wall, in the usual relation to a window and in normally eX- tendedposition;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view showing the awning in retractedposition;

Fig. 3 i a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1,showing'the awning in retracted position by dash lines;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing details of the reel andguide for the for engaging and fastening the flexible member or chainfor acutating the awning.

As shown in the drawing, my awning structure is composed of amultiplicity of sections indicated generally by the numerals 1, 8 and 9,the section I being the normally lowermost, the section 9 being normallyuppermost and those indicated by the numeral 8 being the intermediatesections which are identical one with another. Each of the sections 8has a lower, longitudinal margin which overlaps the upper margin of thesubjacent section and is formed" with a rolled or beaded lower edge 8a.The section Q has a similarly beaded lower edge 9a which overlaps theupper margin of the adjacent section 8.

A pair of flexible members, preferably comprising chain l0, extend inspaced parallel relation one to the other directly beneath the lowersurfaces of the several awning sections and crossways thereof. Thesechains are connected to the normally upper margins of the sections 8 and9 by links H. As best shown in Fig. 5, the several connections betweenthe chains I0 and sections 8 and 9 preferably comprise a downwardlydeformed portion of the awning section which is engaged by the upper oftwo links I i which are of the split ring type adapted to be sprung toopen position for the purpose of making the connection. The normallyupper end of each of the chains [0 i fixed on the supporting wall bymeans of a bracket l2 which is fastened to the upper portion of thewindow frame Hi. The normally lower end of each of the chains In isfastened to a horizontal rod l4 which is fitted with a metal band l5 forattachment to the chain. The rod I4 is, in turn, fastened to the awningsection 1 by means of bearing brackets I 6 which are riveted to apendand flange 1a formed on the section I. Additional flanges lb dependfrom the end of the section 1 and the intermediate sections 8 and uppersection 9 are also formed with sloping end flanges 8a and 9arespectively.

Rigid arms H are provided to support and guide the lower margin of theawning structure,

being of common type which are pivotally connected to the supportingwall and adapted to be oscillated upward at their outer ends to guidethe awning to and from its retracted position. The arms ll may beintegral with the horizontally extending rod l4 and pivotally connectedto the window frame i3 by suitable brackets l8.

Manually operable means are provided for oscillating the arms I! upwardwhen it is desired to retract the awning. The means illustrated comprisea pair of flexible members or chains I9 which are connected at theirnormally outer or lower ends to the horizontal rod l4 and normallyextend obliquely upward therefrom to reels 20 upon which the chains arewound. These reels are fixed on a horizontal shaft 2! extending acrossthe upper portion of the window frame and the shaft is supported insuitable bearing brackets which project from the Window frame. Alsofixed on the shaft 2| is a reel 22 which is adapted to be turned toraise and lower the awning sections. To operate the reel 22 a manuallyoperable chain 23 has one end portion or reach 23a wound clockwise onthe reel 22 and the other reach 23?) wound counter-clockwise thereon sothat when tension is applied to either selected reach of the chain 23the reel 22 and shaft 2| will be turned in the appropriate direction toraise or lower the awning. As best shown in Fig. 4, the reaches 23a and23b of the chain 23 are guided to and from the reel 22 through abracket24 which is fixed on the window frame beneath the reel 22 andformed with eyes 25 to receive the respective reaches of the chain. Tohold the chain 23 under tension in any selected position, I provide at aconvenient elevation on the window frame a bracket 26 which is formedwith a pair, of fingers 21 between which either reach of the chain 23may be passed and held b engagement with the links thereof.

In operation, with the awning extending in the normal position of use,it will be evident that the chains H) are held under tension by theweight of the members connected thereto including the arms ll, rod l4and sections I, 8 and 9. These chains and the connecting links H retainthe several sections 8 and 9 in predetermined overlapping relation oneto another and in proper relation to the lowermost section 1, the latterbeing held in extended position by its connections with the horizontalrod H. To

elevate and retract the awning, suitable tension is applied to theappropriate reach 23a or 23b of the chain 23 to turn the reel 22 and theshaft 21 in the appropriate direction and to wind the chains IS on thereels 2|. The chains [9 are thereby caused to oscillate the outer endsof the arms I! and rod I4 upwardly and toward the supporting wall. Asthe upward movement starts the chains become slack and allow thenormally upper margins of the several sections to drop to positionswhere these margins are slidably supported on the chains [9 while thenormally lower margins are elevated. As indicated in broken lines inFig. 3, the several sections as they approach their fully retroactedpositions are slidably collapsed one on another and their normally lowermargins are elevated above their normally upper margins. When thesections reach their fully retracted position they are forced to assumesteeply inclined or substantially vertical positions in overlappingrelation one to another and with their beaded edges 81) uppermost. Thesections may thus be pressed against the supporting wall in unusuallycompact, retracted positions. They are held in such retracted positionsby engagement of the appropriate reach of the chain 23 with the fingers21 of the bracket 26. To lower the awning, the chain 23 is released fromthe bracket 26 and by appropriate manipulation and control of the chain23 the arms H carrying the outer margin of the awning are allowed toswing outward and downward to the normally extended position.

My improved awning, in addition to its advantageous simplicity andcompactness when in retracted position, has the further advantage ofbeing adapted for ready replacement of canvas or other fabric awningswhich are commonly supported on a frame, including arms similar to thearms 11. Such arms and the rod I4 may be operated to and from the awningretracting position by cords or like flexible members trained onpulleys, as in ordinary fabric awnings. Thus the several sections 1, 8and 5 with their connecting flexible members III may be readilyinstalled in place of worn out fabric awnings of the common type.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. A sectional awning adapted to project from a supporting wallcomprising, a multiplicity of elongated sections normally positioned toform an inclined awning structure in which the longitudinal margins ofsaid sections overlap, one with another, flexible members connecting thenormally upper margins of the successive sections together and havingupper ends fixed on said supporting wall, the normally lower margins ofsaid sections being free to oscillate upwardly when said flexiblemembers are slack, said members being normally under tension, and meansfor actuating said sections to retracted positions in relation to thesupporting wall, in which positions the normally lower margins of saidsections are elevated above their normally upper margins.

2. An awning as defined in claim 1 in which said means for actuatingsaid sections to retracted positions comprise, rigid arms pivotallyconnected to said wall at their inner ends and to the normally lowerportion of said awning structure at their outer ends and flexible meansextending beneath said awning structure and connected to the lowerportion thereof whereby the outer ends of said arms may be oscillatedupward and toward the wall while collapsing the several sections oneupon another.

3. A sectional awning adapted to project from a supporting wallcomprising, a multiplicity of elongated rigid sections forming aninclined awning structure in which the normally lower margin of onesection overlaps the normally upper margin of another section, flexiblemeans connecting said sections together and permitting the normallylower margins of said sections to be oscillated upward relative to theirnormally upper margins, means securing the normally upper ends of saidflexible members to the supporting wall, a plurality of rigid armspivotally connected to said wall and supporting on their outer ends thenormally outer portion of said structure, said arms being oscillatableupward in substantially vertical planes to raise and retract saidstructure toward said wall, a plurality of flexible actuating membersoperatively connected to the outer portion of said structure and reelspositioned beneath the upper portion of said structure and operativelyconnected to said flexible members, and means for actuating said reelsfor retracting said structure from its normally inclined position to aretracted position in which the normally lower edges of the severalsections are elevated above their normally upper edges.

CHARLES HAWLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,233,515 Burke Mar. 4, 19412,435,0'73 Freeman Jan. 2'7, 1948

